A major Singapore MRT disruption rocked the North East Line (NEL) and the entire Sengkang-Punggol LRT system on August 12, 2025. This incident left thousands of commuters stranded and sparked a wave of fresh frustration across the city-state. The Singapore MRT breakdown began around 11am when a critical power fault brough train services to a complete halt along 11 North East Line stations between Farrer Park and Ponggol Coast, as well as across all Sengkang-Punggol LRT loops. In fact, some services were not restored for more than 10 hours. Here’s what happened during the August 12 Singapore MRT disruption.
What happened during the Aug 12 MRT disruption?
Engineers and staff scrambled to restore train services once the incident occurred on August 12. Fortunately, the NEL resumed operations progressively by 2.10pm so the delay lasted around three hours. Meanwhile, Sengkang LRT resumed at 3.34pm. However, it took more than 10 hours for services on all LRT lines to be fully restored. SBS Transit (operator for both lines) announced that all LRT line services were restored by 9.20pm.
Additionally, the operator stated a failure of the power switchboard at the NEL depot’s substation in Sengkang was the culprit for these train disruptions on August 12. Meanwhile, preliminary investigations found that a voltage transformer suffered a flashover—an unintended electrical discharge—which tripped both the main and backup power supplies as part of built-in safety protection. This forced the power outage and led to the complicated process of switching the NEL and LRT power to a backup substation.
Plus, engineers needed to perform extensive checks and complete restart of the lines complex signaling and power infrastructure before allowing train movement—to prioritise safety and ensure no further technical risks.
Why were LRT services down for 10 hours?
The Sengkang and Punggol LRT services returned briefly on a single track—each to avoid overloading the limited backup power and preventing another power trip—before the final full reinstatement that night. Recovery was slow because engineers had to bypass the faulty substation and draw power from another substation. Indeed, this was an unusually long restoration time which amplified public frustration. Particularly, among commuters who spent hours queuing for bus bridging services or searching for alternate routes.
Meanwhile, SBS Transit sent 350 additional personnel to assist commuters at affected stations. Though, confusion and a lack of clear information was widely reported. For instance, many frustrated commuters shared photos and videos of packed bus stops, insufficient alternative transport, and expressed concern about the reliability of Singapore’s robust MRT infrastructure across social media.
CEO of SBS Transit Jeffrey Sim issued a public apology and promised a thorough investigation—acknowledging the significant inconvenience and assured commuters steps would be taken to address Singapore’s vital rail network problems.
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